Former Suzhou Vice Mayor to Be Prosecuted for Corruption

September 6, 2005

According to this article from a Chinese anti-corruption Web site, the Jiangsu province Communist Party Disciplinary and Inspection Committee forwarded a corruption case involving the former vice mayor of Suzhou city to the procuracy for "investigation and disposition according to law." The official is charged with misuse of his office to benefit his son's private business. A tip from a private citizen in early 2004 evidently led the Jiangsu Provincial Committee on Discipline and Inspection to review the case for several months before deciding in August 2004 to begin a formal investigation. Government authorities in Jiangsu province, Suzhou city, and Wuxi city cooperated to "break" the case. This case shows how the Party manages an initial period of investigation when high Party officials are implicated. In socialist state theory, only the Party can govern the Party, so its internal supervisory organs must take the first step in investigating high-ranking Party members. If the Party investigation turns up evidence of criminal conduct, as here, Party authorities forward the case to the procuracy for criminal prosecution.